Self-propelled torpedo.



A. E. JONES.

SELF PROPELLED TORPEDO.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 10, 190B.

- Patented J an. 26, 1909.

. stabililtly i pnrrn an arena. t me ALBERT niiwnnn Jonas, or FIUME, AUSTBIAHUNGARY, 'ASSIGNQR TO wnr'rnnnan &

COMPANY, or FIUME, AUSTRIA-HUNGARY, A CORPORATION.

snLn-PRoPnLLnn Toni-inc.

are. 910,823.

Specification of Letters Patent. Applicationfiled July 10, 1908. Serial No. 443,00.

Patented Jan. 26, 1909'.

To all whom it may concern: .Be it known that I, ALBERT EDWARD JONES, asubject of the King of Great Britain, residin via Volosca, at Fiume, in the Empire of Kustria-Hungary, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Propelled Torpedoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object an improved rear shell for self-propelled torpedoes.

In accordance with this invention, the metal plate forming the casing, and the cage of the motor, comprises at the lower part an excess thickness extendin throughout its entire length, in order thatIy increasing the of the torpedo and the ri idity of its she the angle irons for reinforcing the casing may be dis ensed with either wholly or partially, with t e object of diminishing the weight of the torpedo, while rendering this casing capable of resisting corrosion for a longer period. To this end the thickness of the casing of the motor and that of the conical plate forming the rear art of the torpedo increases in section gra ually from top to bottom. This construction of the rear shell also imparts.

greater strength to the latter, increases the stability of the torpedo, and reduces its weight, while better protecting the casing of the rear ortion against the harmful influence of sa lt water which may penetrate.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure 1 represents in longitudinal section the rear art of a torpedo of knownconstruction, and

ig. 2-is a similar section of a torpedo constructed in accordance with the present invention. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively cross-sections on lines 33 and 4t4 of Fig. 2, in which, for the sake of clearness, the thickness has been purposely exag erated.

In the known construction, the'c amber of the motor isconstituted by a cage or lantern a (Fig. 1) the walls of which are formed of a metal part of uniform thickness.

,The rear cone'is constituted by a thin plate ciof uniform thickness reinforced internally by appro riate an le irons d and entirely covering t e cage 01 the motor, to which it is riveted and soldered- At the lower part of this rear cone, for example in proximity to the cage of the motor, there is fixed lead ballast e serving to give the torpedo the necesnthis way, the steadying ba ast and joint I sary stability by lowering its center of grav- 1ty by an appropriate amount.

In the improved construction of the'rear shell represented in Fig. 2 the thickness of the casing f of themotor gradually increases from top to bottom and the conicalplate h is also gradually reinforced from its upper to its lower part The plate his fixed to the rear edge of the cage f, and t is cage is covered with a casing of thin meta icovering the ap-:'

ertures b, and fixed upon it in such a way as -to be easily removable.

The excess thickness may be regulated such amanner as to compensate for the weight of the ballast e in Fi 1 either wholly or. partially, thereby enabling this ballast to be dispensedwith either wholly or in part. In addition to this, the casing of the rear cone is reinforced and-the angle irons d of Fig. 1 become unnecessary. The excess thickness given to the part j presents the further ad vantage of enabling the casing to withstand for a longer period the corrosion of salt water which may penetrate within the tor edo.-

Owing to the rovision of a thin s ell 00V:

ering the cage 0? the motor, the motor may be inspected without'having to dismount the etween the cage of the motor and the. air vessel; it is only necessary to remove the screws-which support the thin shell i and to draw this shell towards the rear of the torpe' do, in order to expose all the partsof the motor for inspection. In this manner errors of' adjustment which might occur during'the ref mounting of the mechanisms inthe cage can be corrected. y I

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention,

and in what manner the same is. to be per? formed, I declare, that what I claim'is:

- 1. A self-propelled torpedo, having a'rea r shell formed of a plate which has an excess thickness at the lower part, substantially as described. v 2. A self-propelled torpedo, having a cage or lantern for the motor, and a-reai* oone,-eaoh comprised of a plate having'a greater thickness at the lower part, substantially as de. scribed. v

3. In a. self-propelled torpedo, a' motor cage and a rear cone, each formed of a late which increases gradually in thickness rom topto bottom, substantiallyas described.

{ 4. In a seEf-propefled torpedo;- a motor myhand,atYVeymouthjingland this twenty cage with apertures and a rear cone both infom'h day of June 1908 creasmg gradually 1n thlckness'from top to 7 2RD 1 bottom, 1n comblnatlon with a thm casing AM HAT EDVV JONLS' 5 covering the apertures ofithe motor cage, In the presence 0f-- substantially as described. B. B. LEGG,

Tn wltness whereof I have hereunto plaeed PERCY WOODS. 

